Structural block.



W. H. HOOK, JR.

STRUCTURAL BLOCK.

APPLICATION nuzu 020.24. mm

1 ,274,455 Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

w 1 I Q k k 0 L UNITE STATES PATENT orrro.

WILLIAM H. BOOK, JR", 0] AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOBTO GEORGE R. BILL, OFAKRON,

OHIO.

STRUCTURAL nnoox.

Specification of Letters Intent.

Application filed December 24, 1914. Serial No. 878,818.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. R0011, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio,have'invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Structural Blocks,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to blocks for structural. purposes, especiallyfor the construction of sewers and other tubular and curved structures,the blocks being manufactured from plastic clay or the like, by means ofstandard or other approved expressing presses; and the object of theinvention is to provide means for insuring the proper distribution ofthe mortar or other cementitious matter in the end joints of suchblocks, so as to effect. secure and watertight joints at these points.

The invention consists of a block having its ends provided withtransverse taperin recesses and a mortar-receivingstrip, 0 any suitablematerial, on which the mortar is placed While the blocks are being laidand are slightly separated and While the strip rests upon the'edgesofthe bottoms of the recesses of adjacent blocks, so that when the blocksare forced into proper relation, the strip will ride up the bottoms ofthe recesses on which it rests and will displace the mortar and properlydistribute it within the recesses and between the adjacent edges of theblocks above the strip, to thereby seal the joint. This strip may alsoserve as a reinforce against radial displacement of the blocks or theparting of the joint, and to that extent obviates the necessity oflapjointing the ends of the blocks, as I will proceed now to explain andfinally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is aperspective view illustrating two blocks and their interposed strippartly assembled. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the blocksseparated and the strip in place and supplied with a quantity of mortarand ready to be joined. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the jointformed. Fi 4 is a longitudinal section showin t ree blocks united, andillustrating two onus of the strip, either or both of which may be used.Fig. 5 is a transverse section of two blocks placed side by side. Fig. 6is a perspective view of the preferred torm of strip. Fig. 7 is aperspective view of the modified form of strip shown at the right-handside of Fig. 4.

I have shown my invention as applied to a preferred form of hollow orcellular clay sewenblock, of segmental form, with doveta l side joints,but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to anyparticular kind or construction of block, so long as its ends may berecessed 'to receive the strip in the manner and for the purpose hereinexplained.

The block shown has the arcuate outer wall 1 and the similar concentricinner wall 2, and the side -walls 3 and 4 arranged radially andpreferably provided with suitable interlocking means,such as the tongue5 on one side and the complemental groove 6 on the opposite side, bothtongue and groove extending longitudinally and coterminously with theside walls, and adapted to interlock when like blocks are arranged sideby side. The side walls are connected transversely by the substantiallycentral web 7, and this web and the outer and inner walls are connectedby a substantially central perpendicular partition 8, the said web andpartition dividing the block into cells for drainage and reinforcingpurposes.

The ends of the block are provided with the transversely arrangedrecesses 9 extending longitudinally into the side walls andperpendicular partition, and located preferably below the transverse weband between it and the inner wall, or, in other words, to one side ofthe transverse median plane of the block. -The tops and bottoms of theserecesses are inclined and converge toward the interior of the block.

When like blocks are arranged end for end, as in Fig. 2, and before theyare intimately abutted against one another, a mortar receiving anddistributing strip, of any.

form and material, is laid upon the bottoms of the recesses in adjacentblocks, and

then mortar or other joint sealing material proach one another, thestrip rides up thebottoms of the recesses and into the recesses, and themortar is thus distributed in the reeesses and-forced by the movement ofthe shown at the right-hand side'of Fig. 4 and in Fig. 7, may be used;or both forms of strips may be used in the same structure.

In constructing a sewer of the hollow blocks, such as herein shown anddescribed, the invert blocks are first alined end for end and the stripsare placed 'in the end recesses and the mortar applied, and when theblocks are forced together the mortar will be distributed in therecesses against the median plane, or inner wall, and between the jointas above described, and some of the mortar will be forced into thehollows of the blocks upon opposite sides of the'central partitions 8and under the inner walls 2 of the blocks .and thus form an additionalmortar'lock between the blocks against radial displacement; andwhen-constructing the arch, so also a quantity of mortar will bedistributed into the hollows of the blocks upon opposite sides of thecentral partitions 8 and under the central webs 7 and thus form anadditional mortar lock against radial displacement of the arch blocks.

It will be understood that when the invert blocks are being laid, thestrips are so placed as to force the mortar upwardly toward the centerof the sewer, and when the arch blocks are being laid, the strips are soplaced as to force the mortar upwardly .toward the outside'of the sewer.The outside of the invert blocks will thus be left open at the jointsand sealed on their inner or flow-line side and these open joints aiddistribution of the seepage-water. The arch blocks, on the contrary, areleft open at their joints on the inside of the sewer and are sealed onthe outside. The joints may be narrates pointed up from the inside ofthe sewer vmortar-distributing device in the manner herein explained.

What I claim is 1. A structural block, having an outer wall, an innerwall, and connectin walls, the ends of the block provide with transverserecesses extendin inwardly in the direction of the length 0 the blockand arranged below a median plane, the tops and bottoms of said recessesbeing inclined, and a mortar-receiving strip arranged in the recesses inthe adjacent ends of alined blocks and adapted to be moved radially bycoaction with the inclines of said recesses to distribute the mortarbetween the ends of side the blocks as the blocks are moved toward andthe transverse web and located between the side walls, the ends of theblock provided with recesses in the side walls and perpendicularpartitionand located adjacent to the transverse web, the tops andbottoms of said recesses being inclined for the purpose specified, and atrough-like strip for use in the said recesses in the ends of adjacentblocks to receive and distribute the joint-sealing mortar. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day ofDecember,

- WILLIAM H. BOOK, Jr. Witnesses:

WILLIAM WALLAGE, MARSHALL OAINE.

